Deber can express an obligation or money owed to someone.

The idea

Use debo with yo and deber followed by an infinitive for an obligation.

Examples

  • Debo enviar el mensaje hoy.I must send the message today.
  • Ana debe llegar antes de las nueve.Ana must arrive before nine.
  • Debemos guardar los documentos.We must keep the documents.
  • Los estudiantes deben entregar la tarea.The students must hand in the assignment.
  • ¿Debes pagar ahora?Do you have to pay now?
  • Mi hermano debe diez euros a Ana.My brother owes Ana ten euros.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic Spanish voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.

Watch out

Deber dinero a alguien names a debt; it does not itself say the debt is paid.

Try it yourself

  1. Choose the present form for yo: Yo ___ enviar el mensaje. (debo / debe)

    Show answer or example answer

    debo

    Debo is the present form with the subject yo.

  2. Choose the verb form after debemos: Nosotros debemos ___ los documentos. (guardar / guardamos)

    Show answer or example answer

    guardar

    After debemos, guardar remains in the infinitive.

  3. Choose the action matching the debt: Ana prestó diez euros a mi hermano y él todavía no los ha devuelto: le ___ diez euros. (debe / paga)

    Show answer or example answer

    debe

    The ten euros remain unpaid, so he le debe that amount.

Use it today

Describe an obligation today and an amount someone owes.